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Tonight I went to the Meatloaf Bakery.

Oh yes, you read that right: Meatloaf. Bakery.

I've been meaning to try it for a while but always assumed it was a bit difficult to get to. Turns out it's right on a bus route, just about central between work and home. Door to door service, almost. Anyway, I wanted to get a gift certificate for R for his birthday; he loves Meatloaf Bakery, and he's a big fan of "meat" as a gift. So for him, I braved the 151 bus, which I normally hate and fear. Apparently the trick to not ending up in backstreet hell on the 151 is to get off before it leaves the park.

Anyway, I picked up his gift and got a "meatloaf cupcake" for myself -- "bunless burger" meatloaf, topped with cheesy mashed potatoes. It is 100% delicious, really rich and flavourful, not too heavy. I thought it would be greasy, because when I heated it (they package them chilled) some grease bled out the bottom. It's not, though -- I mean, it is a little, but just enough to make it moist. For nine bucks, it's a pretty full meal, and way better than the nine dollar mac and cheese from the food truck. NOVELTY DINING: I'M ABOUT IT.

It's in a neat little area of Clark Street, lots of hipster cafes and shops, and best of all about a block south there is, drumroll please, a Five Guys Burgers.

I love Five Guys. They're not everyone's taste but they make exactly the kind of burger I like and their fries are awesome. And I've never lived within easy reach of one before, so they've always been a special treat. Now, I can get on a bus a block from work, and twenty minutes later be in a booth eating Five Guys fries.

I declare this more than an ADVENTUR. Tonight was, quite simply, A TRIUMPH.

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I'm sorry, the *Meatloaf Bakery*?? I really am laughing, and putting this down on my list of places to visit if I ever make it back to Chicago. I'd even take the 151 (though I'm more of an el person, myself).

You could take the 22! It goes up Clark, you don't even have to walk at all!

Damn it, now I'm hungry *again*.

(it does sound awesome though.)

Mmmmmmm, meat! And I have a Five Guys less than a ten minute drive from me, right in the hub of my two usual pet supply stores, my CVS, my Staples and my manicure place. I was quite excited when they moved in, I must say.

Wait, wasn't Five Guys the place you made a point to go to because everyone was crazy about it, and then you went and you were like "This? Really?" Clearly not – I am confused.

I think you're thinking of M Burger -- though Five Guys did get that reaction from the Serious Eats blog a while ago :D

Ahhhh, that must be it, as I don't follow the Serious Eats blog.

For some reason this seemed important for someone in L.A. to know. :)

IN CASE M BURGER INFILTRATES. Don't eat there! The deliciousness is a lie!

[scribbles] Deliciousness ... is ... lie. Got it.

I'm making a note here: huge success.

I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself! Here, I'll make up for it. This (http://www.howtobearetronaut.com/2011/06/airship-harmonicas/) made me think of both you and R at the same time. R because, well, harmonicas. You because - airships I suppose. To go with your steampunk boot.

I saw those! Very awesome.

Ooh yay! I love novelty food. Especially when it is delicious.

I'm gonna be in Chicago in ~two weeks, and am definitely planning on going through your Chicago tag before that for ideas. :D

HAH! Well, if you let me know what area you'll be in and what kind of transit access you have, I can make recommendations, too.

Will do! I'm still waiting to hear back from my uncle and godfather (the people I'll be staying with) as to whether I can borrow a car. And also where they live, lol.

A co-worker and I were just talking about our love of Five Guys today. Pretty much every place around here makes their burgers way, way too thick, so that you end up with a charred outside and a raw inside. Five Guys' are just the right thickness, the cheese actually melts (but not too much), and they have just enough grease.

I don't mind a nice thick burger once in a while, and I like rare meat if I trust the place preparing it, but I really at the end of the day prefer a crispy, crusty burger, yeah :D

...

ROAD TRIP!

FIVE GUYS, BURGERS AND FRIES.

*ahem* Sorry. Five Guys is awesome. And I love that they will make pretty much anything it's possible to make with a griddle and what they've got lying around.

Extra super bonus points if they play Meatloaf on the stereo.

So you had an...ADVENTRIUMPH!

That sounds delicious.

The meatloaf place, I mean, not the five guys. I KNOW Five Guys is delicious.

Five Guys is GOOOOOOD! (and I'm normally a vegetarian because of health reasons, but I caved!)
I think the Meatloaf Bakery sounds pretty darn awesome too!

Does your Five Guys have framed local news articles giving them praise on the wall?

Mine does and it is infuriating.

But the sammiches are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good.

I haven't been in it yet, but it probably does. That's not that unusual for food places, is it? Tons of places in Chicago have that...

I've only ever seen this in one place. What a weird concept.

It's a sort of pride thing -- it assures customers of your bona-fides and also lets you show off, which most service-oriented places don't get to do, because their product is impermanent. I've seen it done quite a bit in Austin, too.

Ed's Real Scoop, my favourite ice cream place here in Toronto, has framed articles on the wall as well. I don't think it's that uncommon, frankly? Though of course once you're in the shop you're going to buy ice cream anyways, it's not like you need any more encouragements. So I take it more as a pat on the back to congratulate me on my truly excellent taste ;o).

I don't find it that infuriating personally -- it gives me something to read and salivate over when the lineup is very long and super slow. :D (yeah, the place is that good)

edited for clarity. Sorry for your inbox, Sam.

Edited 2011-06-23 14:18 (UTC)

oh, i wish five guys would come to san francisco....

I would love to go to the Meatloaf Bakery! One of my sons's cartoon shows had a place called Cake and Bacon, and I said, if this does not exist, Someone Needs To Make It Now.

I haven't actually eaten a burger from Five Guys, cause I've never eaten beef ever, but I loooove their fries.

OMG, I know what my next baking experiment is gonna be! :D

Mmmm. Five Guys. The ONLY fast food burger place in Baltimore where I can get a good burger, made _exactly_ the way I want it. We have one at the Inner Harbor, I hit it up every time I hit the Friday after Five special at the Aquarium.

I gave Five Guys a try when they moved into a local strip mall (near my favorite grocery store). I'd read raves about it, so I took my kids and my visiting parents (Dad loves a good burger; Mom loves good fries).

A big sign on the front door proclaimed, "We cook our fries in peanut oil." My son is allergic to peanuts. While my Dad ordered our burgers, I walked a few stores down to McDonalds, bought my son fries, and walked back.

We haven't gone back. The burgers were good, but they weren't worth the hassle.

Yeah, for someone with a peanut allergy, Five Guys is not the place. Peanut oil is the best oil for frying in, because it has a high smoke point, but it's definitely an issue for allergies.

When I had jury duty in downtown Brooklyn, I went to the Five Guys Burgers there. OMG, AWESOME. But soooo expensive... But totally worth it.

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